Friday at Extreme Benchrest

Today is registration. Dave and I then went to the range to check our rifles’ zeros after the two day drive from Idaho. If we can get on separate relays I will shoot Daves custom Marauder in the 25 yard benchrest match. Among other things, it has a 16 mm Lothar Walther barrel that he fitted to a .177 action.  

Rifle shrouded in mystery arrives from UK

Giles Barry and Andrew Huggett were there shooting the benchrest Wolverine. Anderw is standing in for the DOC’s Simon Cockhyne who was unable to attended the match. They spent the day getting use to rhe new, to them, rifle and to the shifting winds of the Quail Creek range. Those winds were not conducive to zeroing any rifle but like the rest of us, Andrew and Giles worked through the rough spots and looked confident at the end of the day.

The Daystate benchrest rifle, which I understand has been in the British airgun magazines,  is a Wolverine with a carbon fiber bottle. The stock is a one-off Gary Cane design milled from a wooden laminate of contrasting colors. The stock is wide and nearly encloses the carbon fiber bottle. It appears to be very functional for benchrest shooting.  Equipped with a Hogget moderator, the rife sounds like no pellet was loaded. What you hear is a sigh as air is exhaled from the moderator boudy.

Blueflax clandestine personnel were able to obtain photo intelligence of this new benchrest rifle. Thru deception and stealth they were able to elude Quail Creek Security and photograph it in a fleeting, unguarded moment. Few North American eyes have seen the picture below.

Custom Marauders

There are more Marauders here than last year. Besides Dave’s rifle we sar several other custom Marauders. I saw one with an extended air tube and one in .30 caliber with a carbon fiber tube slid over the barrel. This rifle shot a good sight in target today in shifting winds that were not conducive to precision shooting. 

Today we could not get out to the range until about noon when the wind pickups. The 75 yard match on Sunday will start before 7:00 AM when the winds ought to be less.

There are several shooters here planning to shoot springers in the 25 yard benchrest match. I saw at least two on the firing line. They are here at the encouragement of Garret from the Phoenix club, He and I spent some time talking about building the sport and attracting new shooters. Dave and I wish him all the success in the world.

Tomorrow is 25 yard benchrest and the qualifying round for the speed shoot.

Thanks to all the folks on several forums who wished us good luck. This match is as much about people as it is about airguns.

By the way, there were a lot of neat guns on the line today

Ron